Music rack



8, 1956 M. A. CHAUDET 2,7 0,300

MUSIC RACK Filed Jan. 18, 1954 e I HG. J.

I N V EN TOR, MHORFI f7. Cr /Q0057 United States Patent MUSIC RACK Application January 18, 1954, Serial No. 404,650 6 Claims. (CI. 45-80) This invention relates to music racks, and particularly to auxiliary music racks which are adjustable with respect to the keyboards of pianos.

Adjustable music stands, holders, or racks are wellknown, as evidenced by U. S. Patent No. 1,009,508 of November 21, 1911, and U. S. Patent No. 2,133,368 of October 18, 1938. The present invention is an adjustable music rack adapted to be substituted for and attached to a regular piano rack. My new rack has an important adjustable feature whereby the music may be easily and quickly positioned at eye level to avoid eyestrain. Because of this adjustable feature, it is particularly suitable for children of various ages. By placing the music in an optimum position for a certain sized child or person, it encourages and makes sight reading pleasurable while permitting the person to have a natural posture at the piano. It avoids the necessity of any special glasses for adults who require bifocal glasses or are nearsighted. Pencil wells are provided on the rack as well as a note rack for the music teacher.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved auxiliary music rack adjustable with respect to the keyboard of a piano.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved auxiliary music rack attachable to the normal music rack of a piano and which provides for adjustments with respect to the keyboard of the piano.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a music rack having two sections adjustable with respect to each other, which is economical to manufacture, and which is attachable to all types of pianos.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the mode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front, elevational view of a music rack embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the music rack of Fig. 1 taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a modification of the clamp for holding the adjustable rack to the piano rack, and

Fig. 4 is another modification of the clamp for holding the adjustable rack to the piano rack.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same numerals identify like elements, a piano keyboard is generally illustrated at 5 of a piano 6 having a keyboard back plate 7 and a music rack 8 hinged at 9 and supported by a bracket 10. The above mentioned elements are found in different forms on all pianos, and thus, the auxiliary rack of the invention is attachable thereto.

The rack embodying the invention is composed of two sections-one section consisting of a back or rear plate 13 having end or side plates 14 and 15. The end plates are narrower at the top ends than at the lower ends, the upper end of plate 15 being bent around a wire member 17, as shown at 18. The lower end of the wire 17 is looped, as shown at 19, and then welded to the lower edge of the member 15, as shown at 20, and to the rear plate 13, as shown at 21. V The plate 14 has a similar rigid wire 23 around which theupper end of side plate14 is bent, as shown at 24, the wire being provided with a similar loop, such as 19, and welded or suitably attached to the lower edge of the ,side plate 14. ,Each side plate is provided witha series'of downwardly sloping notches,

0 such as shown at 26. The side plates 14 and 15 and ledge 27 are formed from the same stamping, although they may have different sections welded together. The stamping may be from metal sheets or of wood or plastic.

The lower or foot portion of'the back plate of the musicrack is formed, if-of metal, by bending over a lower section of the rear plate 13 to form the ledge 27, the outer edge of the ledge 27 being bent back on itself to form a stopping ridge 28. Under the ledge 27, a rubber strip 29 is glued so that the piano is protected. For protection of the music rack, strips of felt, shown at 31 and 32, are glued to the upper and lower edges of the rear plate 13. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear plate is held against the piano rack plate 8 by a clamp having a 0 spring 34, clamping jaws 35 and 36, and projections 37 and 38, respectively, for permitting manual operation of the jaws. The jaws are lined with a felt layers 41 and 42.

The other section of the auxiliary rack, which permits music to be positioned in the optimum position for persons of all heights, is composed of a base section having a back plate 44 and a supporting ledge member 45, which has its front edge reversed on itself to form a stop 45. To the end edges of the plate 44 are welded the upright sections 46 and 47 of a wire frame having an interconnecting portion 48. The portion 48 is positioned within the wire holders 23 and 17 and is adapted to be positioned in any of the notches 26. For instance, in Fig. 2, it is shown positioned in the third notch from the top, while the other positions thereof are shown by the dotted lines 50 and 51. The cross portion 48 is adapted to fit in the loops 19 such as shown by the dotted lines 52.

Before the upright sections 46-47 are attached to the back plate 44, rubber cylindrical sleeves 54 and 55 are strung on the sections 46 and 47, respectively, these rubber sleeves providing protection to the piano when placed against the edge of the normal music support. Also welded to the ends of the plate 44, are two pencil wells 57 and 58, so as to provide a handy, accessible pencil when desired. Thus, it is only necessary to move the adjustable section 44-45 up and down and position it wherever desired, the present invention providing six positions, which have been found to be sufiicient.

As shown in Fig. 3, the clamp element 60 may have mounted on the top thereof another rack 61 having a back plate 62 and side plates 63 and 64 and a bottom ridge 65. Thus, the clamp can support an auxiliary instruction sheet holder.

In Fig. 4, another modification of the clamp 67 is shown, this clamp having mounted on one of the upper extensions thereof a lamp 68 having a reflector 69 clamped thereto. The lamp 68 is mounted in a switch base 70.

The above described auxiliary music rack has been found to be an aid to positioning music at the proper heights for children of different sizes. The rack is economical to manufacture and easily adjustable, since no thumb screws or elements adapted to become loose are used.

I claim:

1. An auxiliary music rack for attachment to a piano music rack comprising a rear plate having a lower foot portion at substantially right angles to said plate, a pair Patented Aug. 28, 1956' 6 of notched side plates, 'one "at'each end of said rear plate, and an adjust-able music support, said support having a back plate and a right angle ledge extending therefrom and a Wire frame extending from said back plate and adapted-to be positioned in selected hatches" of saidpair of side plates to adjust the position of said back plate and ledge with respect to the kevboard oif said piano.

2. An auxiliary music rack in accordance with -claim 1, in which --a wire extends from the upper'end of each side plate'to the lower'end thereof, said wire heingspaced from the opening of said notches.

3. An auxiliary music rack in accordance with claim port having a wire frame, the upper cross portion of 1, in which said rear plate, said side plates andsaid lower foot portion are integral.

4. An adjustable music rack for a] piano comprising a rear plate adapted .to .be positioned ,parallel with a piano music rack, said .plate having tapered end plates with a'series of notches therein and a \footextension from the bottom edge thereof, and an adjustable 'amusic supsaid firame 'beingpositionable in selected matches for placing music at difierent heights above the keyboard of said piano.

5. An adjustable music rack in accordance with claim 4, in which said end plates have a wire extending from the upper to the lower edges thereof and spaced from the opening in said notches.

6. An adjustable music rack'in accordance with claim 4, in which clamping means are provided for holding said rear plate on said piano music rack.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Winans Nov. :8, 1938 

